Osteopathy

Treatment sessions vary (usually 45 minutes) and are one on one with the therapist in a private setting and should be covered under most private health plans with the normal deductions and percentages.

Osteopathy is based on the following four principles:

Structure governs function. Essentially, stiff joints and tight muscles change the way the body moves changing the alignment of joints, causing the body to compensate. if not addressed, these changes over time may cause painful symptoms.

Good circulation is essential to healing. Tight muscles and fascia impede blood flow, which can also affect the nervous system resulting in painful symptoms.

The body has its own innate ability to heal.

The whole body is interrelated; i.e. restricted movement in the foot related to an old ankle sprain can eventually affect the knee, hip, back, and even the neck.

The key to successful treatment lies in the manual practitioner's ability to assess position, mobility, and vitality of all tissues. Restrictions of movement result in dysfunction and pain.

Most hands-on techniques are gentle and are generally not painful.

What does a manual practitioner of osteopathy do?

When a patient comes in for a consultation the therapist will first ask the nature of the complaint. She/he will want to know all of the details of the current problem, including a history of past injuries and illnesses.

The rest of the consultation will be dedicated to:

Postural examination

Testing the functioning of local, regional, and global areas to determine areas of restriction in joints, muscles, fascia, and nervous tissue.

Palpation of tissues and physiological rhythms.

Synthesizing the findings of the physical evaluation to determine the source of the patient's complaint.

Developing a treatment plan together with the patient

What does Osteopathic treatment entail? The osteopathic therapist uses their hands to palpate (feel) the tissues of the body and then correct the mobility and position of the tissues.

Techniques Include:

joint and spinal mobilization techniques.

Cranial Osteopathy (Cranial Sacral Therapy)

Myofascial Release

Muscle Energy Techniques

Strain Counterstrain

Visceral Manipulation

Click on this link for an informative and concise video on osteopathy:

At our clinic osteopathic manual therapy is often complimented by traditional physiotherapy, massage therapy and individualized home exercises. All of our osteopathic manual practitioners are registered with associations (NSAO and OAO) that are officially recognized by most major private insurers including Medavie Blue Cross, Manulife and SunLife